4 ms·

I was going to say, I thought computers can't normally operate in those conditions > Because of the high radioactivity levels inside the reactor, only speciall

I was going to say, I thought computers can't normally operate in those conditions > Because of the high radioactivity levels inside the reactor, only specially designed robots can probe the unit There must be some sort of really powerful shielding on the robot. Cool stuff.

krapp 9y ago
We've seen pictures of the melted core of Chernobyl too (the "Elephant's Foot") havent' we?
- mercurysmessage 9y ago
  Yes, and here is an article and a pretty scary shot from the Elephants foot. http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/the-elephant-foot-of-the-chernobyl-disaster-1986/ http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/the-elephant-foot-of-the-che... I couldn't find if robots were used here, but I'm sure more were later.
  - kalleboo 9y ago
    Your link says > From a safe distance, workers – or “liquidators” as they were called – rigged up a crude wheeled camera contraption and pushed it towards the Elephant’s Foot
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- 21 9y ago
  How do you think those photos were taken? https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxRuWaD0sXg/U7MHoNyBuiI/AAAAAAAAJhs/qyyqpQXmDQY/s1600/The+Elephant%27s+Foot+of+the+Chernobyl+disaster,+1986+(1).jpg https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxRuWaD0sXg/U7MHoNyBuiI/AAAAAAAAJ...
  - krapp 9y ago
    oops - I was sure they sent a robot to do that. Never mind.
  - bduerst 9y ago
    They used makeshift robots when photographing elephant's foot. Unfortunately for the worker in the picture, they didn't use it then.
- andreapaiola 9y ago
  Humans, not robots, take the shot
kijin 9y ago
Radioactive shielding is just a bunch of heavy metal. The robot probably has terrible maneuverability and even worse battery life :p
- QAPereo 9y ago
  The problem with the "heavy metal" approach is also secondary radiation. Sure, you've protected your package (robot, whatever) from the beta and alpha, but now your metal is re-radiating in the gamma spectrum and practically cooking your goose. Shielding is hard.
stephengillie 9y ago
Edit - Dragon blog post describes "software radiation mitigation" better than I can: http://aviationweek.com/blog/dragons-radiation-tolerant-design http://aviationweek.com/blog/dragons-radiation-tolerant-desi...

krapp 9y ago

We've seen pictures of the melted core of Chernobyl too (the "Elephant's Foot") havent' we?

mercurysmessage 9y ago
Yes, and here is an article and a pretty scary shot from the Elephants foot. http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/the-elephant-foot-of-the-chernobyl-disaster-1986/ http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/the-elephant-foot-of-the-che... I couldn't find if robots were used here, but I'm sure more were later.
- kalleboo 9y ago
  Your link says > From a safe distance, workers – or “liquidators” as they were called – rigged up a crude wheeled camera contraption and pushed it towards the Elephant’s Foot
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
21 9y ago
How do you think those photos were taken? https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxRuWaD0sXg/U7MHoNyBuiI/AAAAAAAAJhs/qyyqpQXmDQY/s1600/The+Elephant%27s+Foot+of+the+Chernobyl+disaster,+1986+(1).jpg https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxRuWaD0sXg/U7MHoNyBuiI/AAAAAAAAJ...
- krapp 9y ago
  oops - I was sure they sent a robot to do that. Never mind.
- bduerst 9y ago
  They used makeshift robots when photographing elephant's foot. Unfortunately for the worker in the picture, they didn't use it then.
andreapaiola 9y ago
Humans, not robots, take the shot

kijin 9y ago

Radioactive shielding is just a bunch of heavy metal. The robot probably has terrible maneuverability and even worse battery life :p

QAPereo 9y ago
The problem with the "heavy metal" approach is also secondary radiation. Sure, you've protected your package (robot, whatever) from the beta and alpha, but now your metal is re-radiating in the gamma spectrum and practically cooking your goose. Shielding is hard.

stephengillie 9y ago

Edit - Dragon blog post describes "software radiation mitigation" better than I can: http://aviationweek.com/blog/dragons-radiation-tolerant-design http://aviationweek.com/blog/dragons-radiation-tolerant-desi...